


Nightmares

by Hester_Of_Ravenswood



Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 17:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hester_Of_Ravenswood/pseuds/Hester_Of_Ravenswood
Summary: Hester can’t always hold it all in.OrHester gets nightmares after killing her mother.





	Nightmares

The time spent in Avalon preparing for the war against the School Master was some of the most stressful, worrisome, and confusing time of Hester's life.

 

She knew what she had to do.

 

She had known from the moment she had seen the old villains come back.

 

She had to kill her mother.

 

She knew what she said.

 

She shouldn't care.

 

It wasn't her mom.

 

It was a zombie that had come here to kill thousands.

 

She may be evil, but not like that.

 

It was like Lady Lesso always said.

 

True evil was accepting good as your equal.

 

And that meant she couldn't let the world be unbalanced.

 

And she could put up her facade in front of the others...

 

But that night she couldn't stop herself.

 

Agatha had given the Coven the bed in her place and the three were curled up like puppies together.

 

She could hear Dot snoring from where she lay sprawled out partially on Anadil with one of her hands on Hester's pillow.

 

She could also feel Anadil's steady, rhythmic breathing from where her arm hung loosely around her waist.

 

She finally let herself do the unthinkable.

 

She cried.

 

She cried for what she had to do.

 

She cried because she was here, plotting how to kill her mother's zombie with the people that had killed her the first time.

 

She didn't want to admit it, but she took comfort in her friends on the bed beside her.

 

Especially Anadil.

 

The albino was laying on her back with one leg sprawled over both of Hester's own and her pale white hair in a clump on the pillow.

 

Hester held Anadil a bit tighter.

 

If anyone had asked about it, she would have denied it vehemently before throwing the offender off of a cliff.

 

Anadil moved slightly and Hester looked over, finding red eyes meeting her own.

 

The other witch didn't speak, instead just putting her arm around Hester's shoulders and allowing her to move closer.

 

Hester held out for about thirty seconds before she put her head on Anadil's shoulder, allowing herself to cry again.

 

Anadil stroked her lightly, not saying a word.

 

Hester appreciated the silence.

 

This was already the most embarrassing thing she thought she had ever done and it would have been even worse if her friend had commented on it.

 

Anadil seemed to worry about being called a henchman.

 

And Hester had even called her one before.

 

She was, technically.

 

But Hester didn't see her that way.

 

Not when she was crying into her shoulder like some Ever.

 

Because Hester wasn't acting like a leader at all.

 

And Anadil wasn't acting like a henchman either.

 

Anadil rubbed her back for who knows how long.

 

Hester finally fell asleep, her head still burrowed into Anadil's shoulder and her face still soaked with tears.

 

Anadil gently lifted Hester's face and dried her tears as the tattooed witch slept.

 

When she had finished, Anadil put Hester's head back down and continued to hold her friend.

 

She fell asleep listening to Hester's gentle snores.

 

~

 

Hester woke up when she heard movement and opened her eyes.

 

She found herself still curled up beside Anadil like some child and she cursed internally, moving quickly and sprawling out on the bed, kicking her leg over both Dot and Anadil's and reaching an arm over both of them like she usually does.

 

Dot let out a grunt and a particularly loud snore, but didn't wake up.

 

Anadil opened her eye slightly and met Hester's gaze.

 

There was a silent conversation between the two for a second before Anadil closed it and soon fell back asleep.

 

Hester did the same, allowing whoever had woken up to go about their business.

 

~

 

The two didn't speak of last night the next day at all, the conversation they had had (through eye contact) earlier still ringing true.

 

But that night when Dot and everyone else had fallen asleep, Hester allowed herself to roll over and look at Anadil.

 

The albino did the same and stared into Hester's flinty eyes.

 

"I know it's not her," Hester murmured.

 

Anadil stayed silent and Hester found the need to continue speaking.

 

"And I know that they don't have anything to do with my story anymore."

 

Anadil's red eyes stared at her.

 

"But they're in the same story now and... I don't know if I'll be ready to kill her."

 

Anadil stayed silent for a long minute and Hester found herself about to flip over and ignore her best friend.

 

She knew she shouldn't have shown weakness.

 

Anadil probably wouldn't ever look at her the same.

 

Never listen to her.

 

Maybe she'd even try to find a different leader to follow.

 

That sent a pang through Hester's heart, but she forced herself to ignore it.

 

Before Hester had the chance to roll over, however, Anadil finally spoke.

 

"The Hester I know wouldn't think about whether she could or not. The Hester I know would just do it. Because the Hester I know can do anything she sets her mind to."

 

There was a beat of silence as Anadil met her gaze as if to try and communicate how much she meant it, even if her voice was raspy and she clearly wasn't used to comforting people.

 

"And that's not because she isn't afraid. I've seen you afraid before. But it's because she doesn't let that fear control her."

 

Hester was the one that was left speechless this time.

 

Anadil suddenly looked embarrassed, her pale cheeks suddenly seeming to darken.

 

"But everyone has doubts. And even you are allowed to be sad."

 

Hester felt her throat closing up as she continued to stare into those beady, rat-like eyes.

 

Those eyes seemed to see into her soul and... what they saw seemed to please Anadil.

 

Hester found her head back on Anadil's shoulder.

 

She didn't cry, finding so much unexpected strength from Anadil's words, but she did allow Anadil to comfort her.

 

~

 

The pattern continued for the next few days.

 

Each time, Hester and Anadil talk a little more and Anadil allows her friend to put her head on her shoulder.

 

And by the fifth night, Anadil feels like there's a bigger issue than the possible end of the world that was approaching.

 

Before she would have called anyone who said such a thing dramatic.

 

But now she was the one saying that.

 

And her reasoning was...

 

She had a crush on Hester.

 

It started because the other witch kept actually showing her weaknesses to her.

 

Before she could sometimes pretend that Hester didn't have any weaknesses (or emotions) and that helped her ignore the ones she had toward her best friend.

 

But now she was actually comforting Hester at night and it seemed to have broke open the floodgates, leaving her drowning in her feelings for the tattooed witch.

 

She redoubled her efforts to prove she was more than a henchman and cursed herself when she realized it was because she wanted to see her as such.

 

She wanted Hester to see her as way more than a henchman.

 

And that thought made the albino want to scream.

 

~

 

That night, Anadil is stern with herself and tells herself not to help Hester.

 

But it didn't work.

 

She had Hester gently setting her head on her shoulder and Anadil wondered if the other witch could hear her heartbeat.

 

She hoped not because it was beating like a rabbit.

 

She couldn't help but continue to rub Hester's arm with her hand in a compassionate way.

 

And that's when Hester finally said the words that made Anadil melt.

 

Tomorrow was the day they were going to attack and Hester, without knowing it, said the most romantic thing Anadil could ever imagine.

 

"Ani, I don't want you to get hurt tomorrow. I know you want to prove that you're more than a henchman, but I already know that. You always have been."

 

Anadil's heart was putty in her friend's hands, whether she knew it or not.

 

Yes, Anadil was in love.

 

She almost screamed.

 

Anadil remained silent, unable to speak.

 

Hester closed her eyes and fell asleep on her shoulder.

 

Anadil wondered what her friend would think if she knew what kind of effect she had on her.

 

It probably wouldn't be good.

 

~

 

Anadil did her best, helping both of her 'mentors' to dispatch their villains.

 

She got help from Hester and, even in the midst of the battle, found herself staring at the other witch with a sort of zoned out expression on her face.

 

One of her rats bit her and she dove to the ground just as one of the zombies would have killed her.

 

~

 

Everything seemed back to normal.

 

Hester was in her bed and Anadil in hers in their old room for the end of their last year at school.

 

It was dark and silent.

 

Anadil almost fell asleep.

 

That is until she suddenly heard a yell from across the room.

 

Her eyes popped open and she swung herself out of bed, her finger glowing and looking for the attacker.

 

But all she saw was Hester flopping on her bed.

 

Anadil's eyes turned worried and she hurried over.

 

Hester was breathing quickly and her face was scrunched up in what Anadil assumes was fear.

 

She was having a nightmare.

 

Anadil put her hands on her friend's shoulder before she could overthink it and shook her awake.

 

Hester jumped, eyes going wide and her finger turning red on instinct.

 

Anadil held up her hands and slowly Hester put her down.

 

Anadil didn't say a word, perhaps because she didn't know if she could, and sat on the edge of the bed.

 

Hester watched her, sitting perfectly still.

 

Anadil slowly moved closer to Hester.

 

The other witch didn't stop her, so she laid down beside her.

 

Neither of them spoke as Hester slowly put her head back on Anadil's shoulder like she had when they were at Avalon.

 

Anadil had never thought they'd do this again.

 

She was still amazed that Hester couldn't hear her heartbeat from her place almost on Anadil's chest.

 

The tattooed witch fell asleep soon after and Anadil followed after her, wondering what had made Hester trust her so much.

 

~

 

The next night, Anadil hears Hester again and joined her in the small bed.

 

Hester woke and as Anadil laid down she could feel that Hester had been sweating earlier.

 

"I keep seeing her. She looked so happy to see me, Ani."

 

Hester shook her head for a moment before setting it on Anadil's shoulder again.

 

Hester didn't cry.

 

She'd only cried a few times in her life.

 

But she allowed Anadil to stay with her through the night.

 

~

 

And Hester allowed her to stay the next night. And the next night. And the next night.

 

Until she had stayed for over a week.

 

And, by the seventh night, something had changed.

 

Hester woke up less in the middle of the night and she no longer put her head on Anadil's shoulder.

 

The albino took this as an eviction notice.

 

Almost as if Hester were saying she would give Anadil a minute to leave before she kicked her out.

 

Anadil started to sit up, but Hester grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her back.

 

This time Anadil found herself in Hester's spot, her head on the other witch's shoulder.

 

And Anadil heard something she never thought she would hear Hester say.

 

"Thanks," she muttered.

 

Anadil did a double take.

 

She was silent for a moment.

 

"You're welcome," she mumbled back.

 

She shifted slightly and suddenly found she could hear Hester's heart beating.

 

She fell asleep listening to the calming rhythmic tempo.

 

~

 

Anadil was always able to wake up before Dot and sneak back to her own bed.

 

There had been some close calls, but she'd always made it.

 

But she woke up that morning to someone poking her.

 

She jumped and Hester's hand on her hip tightened.

 

Dot gave her an excited look and Anadil blushed bright red.

 

She extracted herself from Hester's surprisingly strong grip.

 

"Are you two finally together?" she asked.

 

Anadil blushed.

 

"What? No."

 

But she said it too fast.

 

"You are!"

 

Anadil shook her head and Dot must have caught the look in her eyes.

 

"But you want to be?"

 

Anadil turned a darker shade of red.

 

Dot grinned.

 

"But if you're not together, why were you there?"

 

Anadil stayed silent.

 

Dot gave her a pleading look.

 

"Hester has... nightmares ever since her mother," Anadil muttered.

 

Dot stared at her.

 

"I've been helping her sleep."

 

Dot's eyes widened.

 

"How long?"

 

"Almost two weeks."

 

Dot let out a quiet giggle.

 

"She must like you if she lets you see her so vulnerable," Dot said.

 

Anadil blushed again.

 

She paused for a moment.

 

"Do you really think so?" she whispered.

 

Dot grinned.

 

"I'm sure."

 

Hester rolled out of bed just then, yawning and stretching and getting ready for class.

 

Anadil glanced at Dot.

 

The witch just grinned at her.

 

Anadil considered talking to her, but she chickened out.

 

Dot shook her head and sighed.

 

Anadil would face giants and zombies, but not her feelings.

 

And Hester could figure out the best, most intricate evil plans, but couldn't see either her own feelings or Anadil's.

 

~

 

That night, when Dot went to sleep, Hester rolled over and allowed Anadil to climb back into her small bed.

 

She laid down and Hester held her around the waist, spooning her gently.

 

Anadil rolled over suddenly and looked Hester in the eyes.

 

She miscalculated and she felt her nose brush against Hester's.

 

She felt heat rushing to her face.

 

She lost her train of thought for a moment as she felt Hester's breath on her face.

 

She cleared her throat and reminded herself what she was thinking.

 

"Hester, I-"

 

She was cut off as Hester suddenly grabbed her face and pulled Anadil the last inch to connect their lips.

 

Anadil was shocked silent.

 

For a moment she wondered if she’d fallen asleep and this was a dream, but she dismissed the thought.

 

If it was, she was going to make the most of it.

 

When Hester finally pulled away, she had a smirk on her face.

 

She pulled Anadil over and the albino put her head on Hester’s shoulder.

 

They didn’t need words, not right now.

 

They could talk in the morning.

 

Anadil slept better that night than ever before.


End file.
